NBA Draft: Cavaliers happy Duke guard Tyrese Proctor was still around at No. 49, thought he could have gone in first round

The Cavaliers had Duke combo guard Tyrese Proctor rated right on the cusp of the first round of the NBA Draft. When he was still on the board at No. 49, Cleveland's front office didn't hesitate to select him. "Everyone has seen him play," Cavs general manager Mike Gansey said in a Zoom call after the draft Thursday. "(Duke) went to the Final Four. He's coming from a winning program. He can play on and off the ball. He comes from a great pedigree. We're excited to see him come in here and see what he can do." Cleveland also added Italian League swingman Saliou Niang with the 58th overall pick in the second round. He will remain overseas for at least next season and possibly a lot longer. Gansey said the hope is that the 6-foot-8, 204-pounder will play for the Cavs' summer league team in Las Vegas. "The strides he's made in the last two years is incredible," the GM said. Niang, 21, will play for Virtus Bologna in the Italian Serie A League next year. "We'll track him," Gansey said. "He'll stay overseas." Niang, a native of Senegal, is a raw talent who had more turnovers than assists last year. He must develop his offensive game, as evidenced by the fact he made just 11 3-point goals in 45 games. The Cavs have stashed players overseas for years, even though they only hit it big with swingman Cedi Osman. Niang averaged 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29 games for Trento. He was named the Most Improved Player in the Lega Basket Serie A and was a 2025 Italian National Cup winner. The 6-4, 183-pound Proctor appeared in 38 games as a junior for Duke last season and averaged 12.4 points, 3.0 rebounds and 2.3 assists. He ranked fourth in the Atlantic Coast Conference in 3-point percentage (.405) and 3-pointers made per game (2.34) and also ranked fourth in program history (25th in NCAA Division I) in assist-turnover ratio (2.33). Proctor helped the Blue Devils win their 23rd ACC Tournament championship with 19 points and a career-high six 3-pointers. He earned All-ACC third-team honors and was an ACC All-Tournament second-team pick. In his Duke career, Proctor appeared in 106 games (97 starts) and averaged 10.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 3.0 assists. "His shooting piece attracted us," Gansey said. "You can't have enough ballhandlers. He can play pick-and-roll. We like his versatility. He's put on 10, 11 pounds. He's gotten stronger in the upper body. "We want to bring in winners here. He knew how to play a role around those guys." All five starters at Duke were drafted, most notably All-American forward Cooper Flagg, who went with the first pick to the Dallas Mavericks. Gansey said the Cavs will likely sign Proctor to a multiyear deal. "We had him almost with a first-round grade," he said. "Having a roster spot (open) helped the process. We're excited about him. We all know our finances." Drafting Proctor doesn't alter Cleveland's thinking in free agency. It still wants to re-sign guards Ty Jerome and Sam Merrill, if possible. "It doesn't change it much at all," Gansey said. "We wanted the best player available. We'll get him in here and see what happens." Contact Bob Finnan at (440) 329-7135 or rfinnan30@gmail.com. Follow him @BobCavsinsider on X.